At the high-water mark just before halftime, the Alba-Golden Lady Panthers led the Cayuga Ladycats by 14 points. Cayuga fundamentally changed the game in the second half, however, and went home with a 44-41 win.

The first half was a game of equal sides. Each team played a free-flowing game, with plenty of driving to the basket. 

Peyton Clark opened the scoring with a 3-pointer. Joecey Lewers added two 3-pointers in quick succession, and the Lady Panthers jumped out to an early lead. 

The action was largely balanced in the first half, with one big exception: Cayuga’s free throw shooting. Their lack of scoring at the line may have given the Lady Panthers a bit of a false sense of security with respect to the status of the game.

Lewers and Averi Stevenson both got off to great starts. They each finished with 14 points. Stevenson had one of her best games of the season, making plays at both ends of the court. 

Cayuga hit a 3-pointer as the first half drew to a close, making an eleven point margin in Alba-Golden’s favor (29-18).

The visitors came out in the second half running a half-court trapping zone.  It largely shackled the Alba-Golden offense. Three-pointers by Stevenson and Jayla Sitar provided the only Lady Panthers scoring in the third quarter.

The Lady Panthers took a six-point lead into the final quarter. As the game tightened, one got the sense that the game would be won in a flurry of scoring by one side or the other. That flurry came from Cayuga. 

After Stevenson hit a jumper on an inbound play to break a 37-37 tie, Cayuga went on a six-point run. Two turnovers generated from their half-court zone press fueled the run. They took a four-point lead with just over a minute to play.

The Lady Panthers managed only one score in the final minute, and fell 44-41. 

The Lady Panthers remain in the middle of a playoff fight.  

After travelling to LaPoynor and hosting Martin’s Mill, the Lady Panthers will face Fruitvale on Tuesday, Feb 3, at